totoro
Mom? What's a difficult child?
Big Sigh...
So we had the honeymoon back from the psychiatric hospital at the beggining of Aug, she was released Aug 3rd... did well for about 2 weeks... then started getting violent again. I thought the Strattera was causing some of the increase... loss of full day structure from the program also. Just her illness... Who knows?
So we stopped the Strattera she had a bit of a problem for a bit, went back on it got worse, stopped it again... got better. Difficult Child'd Strattera this time for good on the 5th. After only having been on it for 6 days, 40 mg.
So she did horrible her first week of school, refusing, talking about wanting to die, kill us, trying to strangle husband, bite me, punch me, slap me...hit herself. Mostly over being told "NO", changing something(schedule), sister touching her, asking her to stop touching sister, asking her to do anything... brush teeth, get dressed. Very oppositional and defiant.
So then last week we only had Abilify, Lamictal and Prazosin... upped the Lamictal to 150mg, Abilfy to 7.5mg and Prazosin stayed at 2mg... the Lamictal was 2 different 25mg increases over 2 weeks. Abilify was 2.5mg increase. She was great, Monday she had the opportunity to be the big sister and help N not be afraid and go to Pre-School, K explained to her that school was fun and not to be scared, I was so proud of her. Then my mother in law was visiting, from the week before, that hadn't helped her mood either!
But mother in law's Mom had to be hospitalized on Monday and she had to fly out on the first flight, she was supposed to stay until Wednesday. K handled it so well and explained to N that we needed to be strong for Grandma, and that Mamaw was very sick and needed Grandma. (They don't think she is going to make it)
I was feeling really good about the medications and everything, so I talked to psychiatrist3 and told him this, I said it is not perfect, she is very close to the edge of erupting, but she pulls it back in and she is taking time out's when needed, to re-gain her composure etc.
Well it was like she was getting so close to the edge I guess and it was building up...Friday she lost it the worst I have seen in a long time... started in the am, didn't want to go to school, was obsessed with wanting to sew, screaming and yelling... got her school. Started back up when she got home. Went on... I asked her to wash her face... she lost it. We were going to go on a boat ride and I told her we couldn't go when she was acting like this. I said it was OK, but when her emotions were so up and down we couldn't go out on the boat. SHe needed to calm down and talk nice and get her "engine" back down because I thought it was running high.
screaming ensued... she ran out of the house, (a first) husband had to chase her down and carry her back in, screaming and kicking, 56pounds!!!
He had to restrain her, she was throwing things hitting, very violent... she is getting stronger!!!
That went on for almost an hour....
Today, husband is gone now, So today again, we had a good morning. Girls morning!!! We made breakfast listened to music (Happy Feet CD). They were being really good and N slept in her own bed for the 3rd night in a row!!! SO I said they could watch a short movie while cleaned up, but they needed to clean up their art table first... N started picking stuff up, I was helping, K lost it started slamming stuff, I asked her to stop. She didn't, slammed some more... said it was too much. I tried to explain that we were doing it together.
I try really hard to make things easy for her, they have bins to throw everything in, I have gone over this a million times, if she wants to start a project she has to clean up the last one, one at a time... this table is in the front room by the kitchen, so they can work while I am cooking or paying bills or on the computer!!! I don't mind the mess so much but they can't do a project if there is stuff all over the table, and then she freaks over that!!! She has little shelves and cubbies to stash it all in...
SO- I told her she needed to calm down NOW or she was going to take a T/O - she came at me and started punching me in the stomach and kicking me hard in the knees... I had to push her hard out of the way to get her to stop. She finally ran into the guest room...
She finally calmed down and we talked about it, I told her her time in the room was her T/O, but now she had to clean up the mess by herself and explained why. She started to get mad, I said this is what got you in trouble... she did it I told her I was proud of her...
she has been on edge all day...
So I feel like she has some depression issues, ( she has been going on about how she is fat and ugly) :crying: which rips my heart out.... that along with the wanting to die... she is always saying she is bored, which is a sign of depression.
I just don't even know where to go with this kid at times... or what medications to even thing of??? I am sticking with Lamictal I think just to see what it is gonna do...
I want to keep the medications the same for awhile but I am just thinking about in the future... psychiatrist3 had mentioned that we will most likley have to address her anxiety and depression...
I just don't even know how to treat her at times like this because, as her Mom I feel so bad for her, but I know she needs discipline and structure. I can't just give in to everything because she is constantly, changing her medications and unstable... I just feel like we never get a chance to move forward... even her therapist made a comment like that last week.
She is so sweet and kind, I hate to see her hurt and struggle....
I think we get to go in and see psychiatrist3 this week, Thursday, so I want to be prepared.
I am SO sorry this is so long....
thanks if you made it through any of this...
So we had the honeymoon back from the psychiatric hospital at the beggining of Aug, she was released Aug 3rd... did well for about 2 weeks... then started getting violent again. I thought the Strattera was causing some of the increase... loss of full day structure from the program also. Just her illness... Who knows?
So we stopped the Strattera she had a bit of a problem for a bit, went back on it got worse, stopped it again... got better. Difficult Child'd Strattera this time for good on the 5th. After only having been on it for 6 days, 40 mg.
So she did horrible her first week of school, refusing, talking about wanting to die, kill us, trying to strangle husband, bite me, punch me, slap me...hit herself. Mostly over being told "NO", changing something(schedule), sister touching her, asking her to stop touching sister, asking her to do anything... brush teeth, get dressed. Very oppositional and defiant.
So then last week we only had Abilify, Lamictal and Prazosin... upped the Lamictal to 150mg, Abilfy to 7.5mg and Prazosin stayed at 2mg... the Lamictal was 2 different 25mg increases over 2 weeks. Abilify was 2.5mg increase. She was great, Monday she had the opportunity to be the big sister and help N not be afraid and go to Pre-School, K explained to her that school was fun and not to be scared, I was so proud of her. Then my mother in law was visiting, from the week before, that hadn't helped her mood either!
But mother in law's Mom had to be hospitalized on Monday and she had to fly out on the first flight, she was supposed to stay until Wednesday. K handled it so well and explained to N that we needed to be strong for Grandma, and that Mamaw was very sick and needed Grandma. (They don't think she is going to make it)
I was feeling really good about the medications and everything, so I talked to psychiatrist3 and told him this, I said it is not perfect, she is very close to the edge of erupting, but she pulls it back in and she is taking time out's when needed, to re-gain her composure etc.
Well it was like she was getting so close to the edge I guess and it was building up...Friday she lost it the worst I have seen in a long time... started in the am, didn't want to go to school, was obsessed with wanting to sew, screaming and yelling... got her school. Started back up when she got home. Went on... I asked her to wash her face... she lost it. We were going to go on a boat ride and I told her we couldn't go when she was acting like this. I said it was OK, but when her emotions were so up and down we couldn't go out on the boat. SHe needed to calm down and talk nice and get her "engine" back down because I thought it was running high.
screaming ensued... she ran out of the house, (a first) husband had to chase her down and carry her back in, screaming and kicking, 56pounds!!!
He had to restrain her, she was throwing things hitting, very violent... she is getting stronger!!!
That went on for almost an hour....
Today, husband is gone now, So today again, we had a good morning. Girls morning!!! We made breakfast listened to music (Happy Feet CD). They were being really good and N slept in her own bed for the 3rd night in a row!!! SO I said they could watch a short movie while cleaned up, but they needed to clean up their art table first... N started picking stuff up, I was helping, K lost it started slamming stuff, I asked her to stop. She didn't, slammed some more... said it was too much. I tried to explain that we were doing it together.
I try really hard to make things easy for her, they have bins to throw everything in, I have gone over this a million times, if she wants to start a project she has to clean up the last one, one at a time... this table is in the front room by the kitchen, so they can work while I am cooking or paying bills or on the computer!!! I don't mind the mess so much but they can't do a project if there is stuff all over the table, and then she freaks over that!!! She has little shelves and cubbies to stash it all in...
SO- I told her she needed to calm down NOW or she was going to take a T/O - she came at me and started punching me in the stomach and kicking me hard in the knees... I had to push her hard out of the way to get her to stop. She finally ran into the guest room...
She finally calmed down and we talked about it, I told her her time in the room was her T/O, but now she had to clean up the mess by herself and explained why. She started to get mad, I said this is what got you in trouble... she did it I told her I was proud of her...
she has been on edge all day...
So I feel like she has some depression issues, ( she has been going on about how she is fat and ugly) :crying: which rips my heart out.... that along with the wanting to die... she is always saying she is bored, which is a sign of depression.
I just don't even know where to go with this kid at times... or what medications to even thing of??? I am sticking with Lamictal I think just to see what it is gonna do...
I want to keep the medications the same for awhile but I am just thinking about in the future... psychiatrist3 had mentioned that we will most likley have to address her anxiety and depression...
I just don't even know how to treat her at times like this because, as her Mom I feel so bad for her, but I know she needs discipline and structure. I can't just give in to everything because she is constantly, changing her medications and unstable... I just feel like we never get a chance to move forward... even her therapist made a comment like that last week.
She is so sweet and kind, I hate to see her hurt and struggle....
I think we get to go in and see psychiatrist3 this week, Thursday, so I want to be prepared.
I am SO sorry this is so long....
thanks if you made it through any of this...